Learn How to Grow Your Own

Sorry this posting is so late, but this cool (FREE) event at the BK Botanic Garden is tomorrow! GreenBridge, the Community Horticulture Program of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Presents the 27th Annual Making Brooklyn Bloom:

Edible NYC: Green It! Grow It! Eat It!

Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

With Featured Speakers, Panel Discussions, Workshops, and Hands-On Exhibits; Learn about Neighborhood Greening and Growing Local Fruits and Vegetables

Brooklyn Botanic Garden presents Making Brooklyn Bloom, the Garden’s annual community horticulture event and spring gardening kick-off day, Saturday, March 8, 2007. For 27 years, BBG has produced Making Brooklyn Bloom—an event that has grown more popular as it has become increasingly resonant to the borough’s citizens. The focus this year is community agriculture and the many benefits of urban greening—including growing fresh, organic food. The free event offers hands-on workshops, experienced and passionate speakers who are nationally recognized trailblazers in local food phenomena, and exhibits by regional experts who will present innovative, organic, home gardening techniques. The experts will also provide ideas and techniques for greening urban communities, so that attendees can learn how to grow their own food easily and reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. Other experts will describe the community health benefits that derive from cultivating open green space and keeping a focus on local food.

I hear there will even be a lecture on "Raising Chickens and Bees in the City." Sweet. When I lived in Hell's Kitchen our local community garden was equipped with bee hives, and the honey was sold at the garden's annual fall event. Wouldn't it be fun to have Clinton Hill Honey? Maybe those movers and shakers at the Hollenback garden can set up some hives near the composting toilet.

Full info in the Botanic event here.

FG-CH Food Co-op Meeting TONIGHT

This just in from the co-op committee: There's been a big groundswell of support -- 482 signatures for our petition of support, just over 300 people who've asked to join our mailing list since we started the effort -- and we have some exciting news: We're in talks with Sean Meenan of Cafe Habana to possibly use one of the spaces he owns on Fulton as a future home. We have a meeting this Thursday (TONIGHT): 7 p.m. at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church. We've got four committees now working on different aspects of the coop -- Business/Financing, Outreach/Membership, Location/Lease and Merchandising -- with a large group of committed, excited folks who want to make this green effort happen.

More info here.

Missing Mailbox!

This morning, I headed to my local blue mailbox (Clinton and Lafayette) to drop off my payment for the $60 parking ticket I received last week in BK Heights (GRRR), only to find THE MAILBOX WASN'T THERE!

Where did it go?! WTF???

UPDATE: The mailbox was taken out by two cop cars who collided at that corner Saturday morning. A reader did email me about it, but I was taking my eight-hour written exam at school, so I didn't get to see it. Back to the topic of cops pulling illegal traffic maneuvers in the 'hood, I saw one last week drive in front of a car at a red light from behind, look both ways and drive through it, no sirens. Just couldn't wait for that pesky red to change! I'm curious to know what the circumstances were on Saturday. If they were rushing to an emergency, OK. But if this happened because they were breaking traffic laws for no reason AND they ruined my mailbox, I am gonna be PISSED.

478 Myrtle

478 Myrtle (bt Washington and Hall) has been under renovation for awhile.  Looks like the space will be home to a selection of homeopathy (apparently they're affiliated with the BIH).   Despite the Grand Opening signs, shelves inside are completely empty.

Progress on Root Stock & Quade

Apartment Therapy (one of my favorite blogs!) has some additional info on the opening of Root Stock & Quade on Myrtle Ave (my original post here).  Looks like they're facing a mad rush to open as scheduled, but they plan on maintaining the historic feel of the storefront.

Gluten-Free Suggestions Wanted

Received this email from a reader, who coincidentally went to the same high school as I did (small world!): I have a quick question to ask - I've been trying to read the blog for any suggestions on gluten-free food/ideas in the FG/CH area. I've been diagnosed with Celiacs for over four years now, and it's been really tough to find gluten-free products in the area. I know of the organic food store on Myrtle (Karrots), and the Met on Fulton is hit or miss (but they seem to have the GF beer), and the Associated on Myrtle carries a small selection. Any chance you could make a request/post about it in an upcoming blog entry?

Ideas? I'd also suggest:

• Green Planet (Fulton at Washington)
• Fresh Garden (Fulton and Lafayette)
• Provisions (Fulton at S. Portland)

(More info on these places here.)

G Train Connection

A bunch of you guys have emailed me today about this, and I admit that I slacked on posting.  Then everyone else started posting, so I was even less motivated to photoshop this cute graphic together:

Anyway, yes!  There is exciting news afoot!  Apparently Leticia James has suggested linking the G at Fulton to all of the trains at Atlantic-Pacific!  This is super news.  How often have you really wanted to take the 2,3,4 but were too lazy (or running late) to walk down there or wait for the bus down Greene (which, btw, never comes) so you made do with the G to the A,C to another change or two.

Sign the petition here!

And more info here via Second Avenue Sagas.

The Met Scrambles for Some Cred

After all these comments on the Met on Fulton, I'm sure glad that it's not the closest grocery store to me! Looks like the opening of Green Planet (and maybe some of the remarks here on the interwebs) have the Met trying to make themselves look better. This just in from reader Rachel:

I found this really interesting: Met Foods now has a painted sign on their window claiming “Largest fresh organic products in the area.” I went in to see if there were, in fact, any fresh organic products and was hard-pressed to find any (just the usual half-rotten produce they usually carry). It’s clearly a reaction to the threat of all the discerning customers shopping at Green Planet, but why lie? I find it very fitting that the bunny painted next to the sign looks more like a giant rat…

Heh. It actually does kinda look like a rat!

Knitting Class at Bidonville

Been wanting to learn how to knit?  Check out this two-session class being offered at super-cute Bidonville on Willoughby!

I haven't been there in awhile, since it's been too cold to take Mallow to the park, but last I stopped in, thy were offering baked goods from Choice!  Yum.

Green Planet: Photos and Stuff

Despite the snow (and this is nothing, considering I'm from Buffalo), I purposely got off the C train on the Washington end.  So far, I'm pleased with what I saw.

The highlight of the store, as many have commented, is the very full bulk section in the back!

They seem to have everything here from dried fruit to beans to organic candies.

They also have a juice bar:

I tried a 16 oz Blueberry + Creme shake.  It was made with some sort of blueberry protein mix, low fat vanilla soy milk and an organic banana, for $3.99 (no tax!).  Not dirt cheap, but seemingly reasonable.

They have a lot of "normal" organic stuff that I'd buy regularly, like Amy's Organic soups and Kashi cereal.

Looks like pretty reasonable prices on both -- average to slightly lower than average.

They also have a crapload of vitamins.

Personally, I hate swallowing big pills. I stick to an Advil-sized multivitamin and a C chewable, personally.  But maybe you guys are into this stuff.

I didn't take a pic of the produce section, since my camera battery was dying.  It looked kind of small to me, but at least there's one in there!

Conclusion: Green Planet seems to be an ideal mix of the super hippie-dippie organic stuff, as well as the more mainstream organic stuff, and prices seem fairly reasonable.  Staff seemed nice, too.  Plus, the hours are AMAZING (8am to 10pm!!!).  I'll probably hit up my Waverly Associated for the basics.  But for me, this'll be a great place to stop for a smoothie while taking a walk, loading up on dried fruit and stopping in for snacks when Associated is closed (ahem, Sunday evenings!).  You could probably do a lot of your basic grocery shopping there -- they have dairy, pastas, condiments, etc.

(Green Planet is on Fulton St. at Washington Ave)

Garden + Flower Shop Coming to CH!!!

It looks like my prayers are finally about to be answered.  While I know there are far more practical needs for the neighborhood (cheese shop, bookstore, etc), I've been pining for a really pretty flower / plant shop since moving to the neighborhood. Today, I received word that Root Stock & Quade (who already have a well-established Park Slope outpost) will be opening a store on Myrtle in the old one-hour photo place next to Move With Grace (Myrtle near Hall)!!!!!!  If this place is anything like Sprout Home in Williamsburg or GRDN in Boerum Hill, I am going to be one happy patron.

Looks like they also do garden design and event florals!

Are We FINALLY Getting a Bookstore?!

The blog for the New York Review of Books writes that a women who blogs as The Written Nerd has received a small business grant from the BK Public Library, and might be opening a bookstore in CLINTON HILL!  She currently works at an independent book store in SoHo, so she has some experience already. Pleeeaaassseeeeeee!  Bring us your bookstore!

NYC Pet: Nice Inventory!

I stopped into NYC Pet on Myrtle last weekend (at Washington), and was tre impressed with their stock!

First, they have a really nice selection of cat posts. As someone who owns a large cat who likes to scratch things, I can attest that it can be almost impossible to find an aesthetically pleasing cat post.

Plus, there's plenty of food and pet toys:

I must say, they seem to offer the most comprehensive selection in the hood right now. I didn't look at prices, but I'm sure I'll be back to look more closely.

"The Bakery" is Open!

The bakery at 154 Vanderbilt (between Willoughby and Myrtle) is now open! The name's not yet official, since a bakery called "Crumbs" is protesting to the establishment's use of the name "Krumbs." (This explains the temporary spray paint job over the old "Frosted Moon" sign.)

Owner Adrienne Braxton has been a Clinton Hill resident for years. She's become famous for her peach cobbler, often sold on the street, but always longed for her own storefront.

I picked up some mini carrot cakes ($2.50 each) for a dinner party, and they were a huge hit. Braxton's goods are mostly of the dessert variety (ie. no fresh bread), but if you need a fox box of fresh, buttery goodness, this is your place.

Looks nice inside, and I'm looking forward to see how the place develops!

Wegmans Clarifications

Just a few bullet points on my earlier post about Wegmans to clarify my opinions:

• I SUPPORT the preservation of Admiral's Row
• The new locally-owned stores opening look amazing, and many of us will shop there (OMGfishandbreadatProvisions!)
• These same stores are not nearby the public housing residents and many of them are selling specialty, more expensive items (instead of things like paper towels and basic cereal)
• The point of the supermarket in the Navy Yard is to serve these populations, as they do not have a store nearby for basic necessities
• The politicos are pretty much set on providing a comprehensive supermarket in the Navy Yard for these populations
• If our neighborhood will HAVE to be home to a new supermarket, why not work with local officials to bring a GOOD store in, that serves ALL populations of the neighborhood, offers reasonable prices, is a company dedicated to the neighborhoods they operate out of and that provides quality job opps for locals?
• High-end grocers are not serving the public housing populations (which is fine, but point being those residents have needs that need to be met)

To all those who emailed me about Wegmans, I will send out an email this weekend!

Provisions: OPEN

From the Greene Grape:

Fresh Fish and Meat . . . Finally.

If you've walked by the new Greene Grape Provisions store at the corner of South Portland and Fulton, you know we are serving fresh coffee and espresso drinks and are getting daily deliveries of fresh pastries from Balthazar and bread from Il Forno. We also have pantry essentials like olive oil, vinegar, spices and dry pasta.

As of January 22, our fish and meat counters are open. The fish counter will have organic Atlantic salmon, shrimp, scallops, swordfish, yellowfin tuna, escolar, tilapia, arctic char, mahi-mahi and skate, all from Wild Edibles. Rob our fishmonger will be available to advise on your fish purchase, suggest preparations and clean your shrimp. The meat counter will feature filet mignon, New York strip steak, rib eye steak, organic Bell & Evans chicken, pork chops, ground meat and sausages. Come and meet Paul the butcher and let him know what else you'd like to see.

At the wine store we'll be pouring a fish-friendly white AND red and you'll receive 5% off your wine purchase by bringing in a Provisions receipt for $10 or more.

We apologize for the slow roll-out but we want to perfect each aspect of the store one department at a time. You've waited this long, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, and you deserve the best. We have a lot more service-oriented surprises in store so hang in there . . . we promise it will be worth it.

Cheers! FFGG (The Fine Folks @ The Greene Grape)

(photos by Melanie Flood)

Holy crap. Look at that bread. And salmon. OMG. (drool)

FG/CH Co-Op Meeting

The first organizing meeting on The Fort Greene Clinton Hill Food Co-op is January 23rd atLafayette Ave Presbyterian Church at 85 So Oxford (btwn Lafayette/Greene) 7-8:30PM. Get in on the ground floor!

Our big questions: Why we need/want a co-op? What it will take to start it? What support do we have now? What will the structure of the co-op be? What's on our wish list? How can other Co-ops help us?

Sign the petition, get involved, get updates: fortgreenecoop.wordpress.com

Also, here's a link to the petition.

What About Wegmans?

I can't believe I didn't think of it before! What if we figured out how to bring Wegmans to the Navy Yard? For those of you who have never had the opportunity to spend any time in Buffalo or Rochester ("upstate" to NYers, but "Western New York" to natives), Wegmans is an amazing supermarket that offers all kinds of stuff -- think a slightly more reasonably priced Fairway, plus stuff like lawn chairs, books and magazines, a pharmacy , bulk candy and granola, etc. (They also have stores in PA, NJ, VA and MD)

The best part, though, about attaining a Wegmans would be the employment benefits for the community. Sure, any large store that opens in our area will offer job opportunities for the locals. Wegmans, however, has been on Fortune's "Top 100 Businesses to Work For" for the last ten years:

"The 100 Best Companies to Work For" list is compiled for FORTUNE by Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz of the Great Place to Work Institute in San Francisco, based on two criteria: an evaluation of the policies and culture of each company, and the opinions of the company's employees. The latter is given more weight; two-thirds of the total score comes from employee responses to a 57-question survey which goes to a minimum of 400 randomly selected employees from each company. More than 100,000 employees from 446 companies participated in the survey this year, making this by far the largest simultaneous employee survey in corporate America. The survey asks about things such as attitudes towards management, job satisfaction, and camaraderie within the organization. The remaining one-third of the score is based on an evaluation of each company's demographic makeup, pay and benefits programs, and culture. Companies are scored in four areas: credibility (communication to employees), respect (opportunities and benefits), fairness (compensation, diversity), and pride/camaraderie (philanthropy, celebrations). Wegmans offers great benefits for its employees, including generous scholarship awards for high school students on the college track. Well-treated employees = happy employees = high standards of service = a pleasant shopping experience = happy customers. In addition to offering reasonably priced healthy groceries nearby, why not also offer stellar job and training opportunities to the community as well?

They were also named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies.

If we're going to bring a giant supermarket to our neighborhood, why not recruit one that offers real benefits for everyone - shoppers and employees alike! I mean, isn't that why service at Duane Reade is so shitty? Because they offer crap benefits to their employees? This could be a golden opportunity to work with Wegmans and do something amazing for our community.

Who's with me? BRING WEGMANS TO BROOKLYN!!!

If you are seriously interested in helping with this, email me at clintonhillblog-at-gmail-dot-com.

Car Window Repair?

It was only a matter of time until we received a plea for a car window repair place: Recently, as in three days ago, our car was broken into right in front of our house! So now we have a broken car window. Does anyone have any recommendations on a reliable and affordable place in the hood to fix this? I would imagine that with the frequency of break-ins these days some boy shop is making a pretty penny on glass replacement.

High-End Grocers are Everywhere (EVEN ON FULTON!)

Oh boy, people. We're on the cusp of an insane explosion...of chi chi grocers! So far, we have:

• Fresh Garden (Fulton and Lafayette - TriLaFu!) -- They have a nice flower selection, thank GOD:

• L'Epicerie (Vanderbilt south of DeKalb): Allegedly cranky service, but also allegedly offering amazing dinners now
• Karrots (Myrtle at Clinton): A little too crunchy for my personal taste

Soon, we'll have:

• Provisions, a gourmet grocery from the fine folks at the Greene Grape (Fulton at St. Portland):

• Union Market, at the corner of Fulton and Rockwell [BK Paper]
• Choice Market's new place on Greene near Grand:

• AND... (drumroll)...GREEN PLANET, to open at 969 Fulton (between Washington and St. James). All I know is that it'll sell "organic food, health food and juices."

Do you think they'll be successful?

And finally, just a shout-out to the slightly dank but decently-stocked Associated on Waverly between Lafayette and Greene, which has been increasing their inventory of organic foods and "green" cleaning supplies. Plus, the staff is so friendly!